Free Flow And Easy Access To Information Must Be Encouraged, Says Raja Nazrin. But Will Umno Agree?

For a country to practise a system of good governance, there must be transparency and openness, and a free flow and easy access to information must be encouraged, the Raja Muda of Perak, Raja Dr Nazrin Shah, said today.

He said people who were well-informed are in a better position to make informed decisions and those who are badly informed will rely on half-truths and lies. They will have to depend on non-credible sources of information or they may have to remain ignorant.

"This can cause attention to be directed to frivolous matters, while positive and commendable efforts on the part of the government go unseen, nullifying those efforts," he said in his keynote address at the international conference on "The Challenges of Democratisation and Good Governance in the Malaysian Public Sector" here.

Outlining several points in realising a system of good governance, Raja Nazrin said there was a need to continuously move towards an increasingly open system of governance.

"Eradicating red tape and convoluted bureaucratic procedures will help stave off high economic costs and inhibit any opportunity for illicit payment. The amount of regulation, permits and licences must be reduced," he said.

***** Many I'm sure will agree with His Royal Highness. However it remains to be seen if the ruling party, Umno can get rid of its entrenched bad habit of sweeping everything under the carpet. Concepts like transparency and openness are anathema to the average self-appointed warrior of bangsa, agama dan negara which Umno attempts to portray to an increasingly disbelieving populace except for the simpletons in some remote kampungs.

Instead of encouraging transparency the ruling party seeks to bludgeon the messengers into submission while at the time engaging in saber-rattling and frightening the common man with threats of civil war, savage blood-letting and the use of antiquated old Soviet-style laws and punishment.

The only solution is the influx of forward-looking men like Raja Nazrin into Umno and hopefully displacing the deep-seated rot currently holding fort there.
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